26.09.2009

Roof top wind turbines in Brussels

The roofs of Brussels could be a mass of miniature wind turbines if the recommendations of a study by the Centre d’Etude, de Recherche et d’Action en Architecture (CERAA), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) and the Institut de Conseil et d’Etudes en Development Durable (ICEDD) are taken up. The study looked at the legal and technical issues the city would face if it were to adopt wind power as a source of green, renewable energy.

Although one immediate obstacle highlighted was the lack of any legal regulation for wind turbines, the study concluded that there were between 3,000 and 5,0000 sites suitable for small turbines producing up to 3 Kw each – the equivalent of the average needs of one family. The large turbines seen in rural landscapes were discounted out of hand as their movement can apparently cause problems with aircraft radar systems, notwithstanding the lack of suitable locations for such a large structure. The study proposed a handful of pilot projects as the best way to proceed.